Dialogue Earth South Asia

Dialogue Earth South Asia South Asian environment and climate stories told through the voices on the frontlines, and those leading the solutions. Formerly the Third Pole.

The region that encompasses the Hindu Kush Himalayas mountain range and the Tibetan Plateau is widely known as the Third Pole because its ice fields contain the largest reserve of freshwater outside the polar regions. This region is the source of the 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water to over 1.9 billion people in Asia – over 24% of the world’s population. The Third Pole Region is warming at a much faster rate than the global average, with immense implications for its glaciers and all who rely on the great rivers born there. We are a non-profit organisation with a team of editors based in Delhi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Bishkek, Beijing, Bangkok and London. The Third Pole works on the principle that sustainable development is possible only with the active cooperation of those most affected by policies. Our reports and commentary seek to showcase perspectives from the people who live in the basins of rivers that flow down from the Hindu Kush Himalayas, most often through the eyes of journalists living and working among the people in the countries we cover, as well as experts and policymakers at the highest levels of government. The free flow of information and knowledge, both vertically between communities and policymakers as well as horizontally across borders, is at the core of our work. We welcome your comments and contributions.

Never more urgent. Never more possible. ➡️
20/09/2026

Never more urgent. Never more possible. ➡️

Environmental crises do not respect borders. Neither do their solutions. We’ve seen this over our two decades of reporti...
14/09/2026

Environmental crises do not respect borders. Neither do their solutions. We’ve seen this over our two decades of reporting on the Himalayan watershed.

And as these crises accelerate, the need for trusted journalism that remains locally driven but globally connected has never been more urgent.

The climate story cannot be told without South Asia. From extreme weather to water stress, from energy transitions to biodiversity, the region is full of stories with global relevance.

That’s why, as Dialogue Earth celebrates its twentieth anniversary, the Third Pole is rebranding as Dialogue Earth South Asia.

➡️ Swipe to find out more

02/09/2026

Here are five things we now know about the Nepal flood disaster:

1️⃣ Scientists now believe the event was a rock–ice avalanche, with preliminary evidence suggesting that the instigator was more rock than ice.

2️⃣ While the exact trigger remains unknown, scientists are investigating whether factors such as last year’s floods and the 2015 earthquakes may have contributed to the collapse.

3️⃣ SMS alerts reached people, but due to gaps in the warning-to-action chain, many did not know what the warning meant, where to evacuate or how severe the event could be.

4️⃣ The disaster highlights the need to prepare for cascading and compound hazards rather than focusing on a single type of risk.

5️⃣ Though disaster information is shared across borders in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, there is still no permanent regional system for such warnings.

These are some of the key findings from our latest reporting, based on our conversation with disaster-risk specialist Saswata Sanyal.

Follow Dialogue Earth for more reporting on environmental change and climate risk in the Himalayas.

Video:
Supporting images: Down to Earth
Music: East Travel by Deodo / Envato
Cover photo: ZUMA Press / Alamy
🔗 Read the full interview on Dialogue Earth. Link in bio.

28/08/2026

The death toll in Nepal crossed 500 on Friday, with at least 1,900 people still missing after devastating floods hit the region on 26 August 2026, as per BBC reports.

While scientists and researchers continue to assess the situation in the Himalayan nation, the scale of the destruction is raising urgent questions about the growing vulnerability of the Himalayas.

For years, Dialogue Earth has reported on the warning signs: melting glaciers, rapidly changing glacial lakes, erratic snowfall and a changing ecosystem. The forces making the Himalayan region increasingly vulnerable have been building for decades.

Read our existing coverage on how the changing Himalayan region is putting millions of lives at stake. And stay with us as we continue to find answers.

Video:
Supporting images: Down to Earth
Music: Peaceful Nature by Eitan Epstein Music / Envato

Tap the link in our bio to read all three stories.

28/08/2026

The death toll in Nepal crossed 500 on Friday, with at least 1,900 people still missing after devastating floods hit the region on 26 August 2026, as per BBC reports.

While scientists and researchers continue to assess the situation in the Himalayan nation, the scale of the destruction is raising urgent questions about the growing vulnerability of the Himalayas.

For years, Dialogue Earth has reported on the warning signs: melting glaciers, rapidly changing glacial lakes, erratic snowfall and a changing ecosystem. The forces making the Himalayan region increasingly vulnerable have been building for decades.

Read our existing coverage on how the changing Himalayan region is putting millions of lives at stake. And stay with us as we continue to find answers.

Video: Shalinee Kumari
Supporting images: Down to Earth
Music: Peaceful Nature by Eitan Epstein Music / Envato

Links in the comments below 👇

19/08/2026

One more tidal

18/08/2026

For many Adivasi families in Dumka, leaving home has become part of staying home.

In Ukhrapahari and Burhidangal, livelihoods are being affected by shrinking forests, uncertain rainfall, water scarcity and declining agricultural incomes. For some, the only way to afford a house, a wedding or repay a debt is to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres for work, then return when they can.

But migration isn’t the only pressure. Women in Burhidangal still walk rocky forest paths for nearly 30 minutes to collect water. Despite pipelines being laid in 2025, neither village has a functional piped water supply. The deadline for the wider scheme has now been pushed to 2028.

Despite these challenges back home, people keep returning. To their families. Their language. Their forests. Their way of life.

Read the full story on Dialogue Earth via the link in bio.

Photos and video:

Music: Indian by AnorMusic / Envato

As mining, water scarcity and erratic rainfall make life harder for the Indigenous Santhal communities in Dumka, many ha...
04/08/2026

As mining, water scarcity and erratic rainfall make life harder for the Indigenous Santhal communities in Dumka, many have to migrate for work.

But in these villages, residents no longer leave with the intention of settling elsewhere. Instead, they migrate to meet expenses that the village itself cannot generate – building a house, paying for weddings or avoiding debt – returning once those needs are met.

In Dumka, leaving has become part of staying.

Read the full story: https://loom.ly/gt6kuxQ

🖋️📸 Shalinee Kumari

Mining, water scarcity and erratic rainfall are making life harder for the Indigenous Santhal communities of the district in Jharkhand. Many migrate for work, earning enough just to return to their land, language and forest

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